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www.shamansociety.org9SHAMANICPRACTICETHEPLACEOFRECONCILIATIONByEllenWinnerJ.D.LastJulyafewweeksaftermyseventiethbirthdayIhadadreaminwhichanauthoritativemalevoicematter-of-factlyannouncedGodiscallingyouhome.InthedreamIfoundmyselfbetweenandslightlybehindtwomenIdidntknowstandingsothatweformedatriangle.Anothervoiceremarkedthatthethreeofuswouldbeleavingtogether.Fearofdeathhasplaguedmesincechildhoodsoitwasoddthatitallseemedsoordinary.Iwouldneverpersonallyhavesaidcallingyouhome.Thosewerewordsforsanctimoniouspreachersorforchurchladiestoechotoeachotherwithfalseassurance.Yetinthedreamtheyfeltobviousandrightwithnosenseatallofwhistlinginthedark.Beingcalledhomewasnothingmorethananaturalnextstepsomethingmildlypleasurabletolookforwardto.IdidnttellmyfamilybecauseIthoughtitwouldscarethembutmadeanoteinmyjournaljustincase.Ifanythinghap-penedIwantedeveryonetoknowIdbeencalledhomeratherthansnatchedbythecrueljawsofdeathorcutdownbythegrimreaper.AndnowthatmonthshavepassedsincethedreamImnolongerworriedaboutwakingupdeadanytimesoon.Itgotmyattentionthoughenoughtoinvestigatefurther.AlreadyfamiliarwithRaymondMoodyandElisabethKubler-RosssPerrysLifeAfterLife1InowreadneurosurgeonEbenAlexandersProofofHeaven2andJeffLongandPaulPer-rysEvidenceoftheAfterlife3andfoundseveralgoodwebsites.4Acommonelementofthenear-deathexperienceisalifereviewinwhichalovingspiritshowsyouwithoutjudgmentscenesfromyourlifewhenyoucausedharmtoothers.Fullyexperienc-ingthehurtfulemotionsyoucausedasiftheywereyourownyouaremovedtocompassion.Youaresodeeplysorryforthepainyoucausedyouhavenodesireeventotrytojustifyyourac-tionsandatthesametimeyouunderstandhowyourownpainandignorancecausedyoutoactthatwayandareabletoforgiveyourself.Thelovingspiritalsoletsyourelivethekindactsyouperformedsoyoucanfullyrealizehowimportanttheywere.ExploratoryJourneytothePlaceofReconciliationInadditiontolearningaboutthenear-deathexperiencesofothersasashamanicpractitionerIfeltcompelledtoinvestigatefurtherwithajourneytomyowndeath.ImaginingmyselfonmydeathbedItraveledupwardpassingthroughalineofdemarcationintoadarkishplaceItooktobeaninterworld5betweentheMiddleandUpperWorldsinnon-ordinaryreality.TherestretchingintothedistanceasfarastheeyecouldseewasasceneofthousandsofhumanheadsandbodiesliketheviewsontelevisionofmassedprotestsinEgyptsTahrirSquare.IunderstoodthatthesewereallthepeoplewhohadsharedtheEarthwithmeduringmylifeandwonderedbrieflyhowtheoneswhowerestillaliveonEarthcouldalsobehereinthisafter-deathplace.Butitdidntmatter.Thereweallweretogetherinagiganticcrowdmiddle-easternmenwithbeardsAfricansAsiansAmericanschildrenbabieswomenandmenofallagesracesandnationalities.SomeIfeltgoodaboutandsomeliketheTalibanmenIcouldseeinthefardistancecouldhavebeenfrighteningyetIfeltnofear.Thewholehumanmasswasgentlyvibratingjostlingtogetherasthoughsettlinginreconcilingtoeachother.AsurgeofsocialanxietytriggeredatemptationtocomeoutofthejourneyuntilIheardamalevoicesayTheprincipleofbeautyapplieshere.Irefocusedinnon-ordinaryreality.Everyoneherewasinittogether.Noonecouldescapeandinthisplacewenolongerhadpowertodoeachotherharm.Therewasnothingwecoulddobutreconcileaccepteachotheraswewere.Thatswhatthevoicemeant.Wehadtofindbeautyinthisplacebecausethiswasourwholerealityandbeautywastheretobefound.Ibegantosensethemovementofcompassioninthecrowdasindividualsfocusedoneachotherfeelingeachotherspainandgriefastheirown.Thiswasalifereviewonaverylargescalebutdifferentfromnear-deathexperiencesIdreadaboutbecauseIwasntbeingaskedtoconfrontthingsIhadpersonallydonetohurtothers.Ihadcomeintothejourneywithastrongneedtounderstanddyingandnowthecompassionatespiritswereshowingmethisplace.Iknewitwasrealplaceinnon-ordinaryrealitythatotherscouldvisitstayingaslongastheywished.ThewordsThePlaceofReconciliationsprangtomindlikearecognitionofitstruename.AsthejourneyendedIknewIwouldbeback.Thejourneyremindedmethatcompassionisanaturallawforhumanbeings.Despitetheexistenceofselfishnessandcru-eltyintheworldnoonecandenythatsurvivalofthefittestisoneoflifesoperatingprinciplesthehighestlawisloveandconnection.WhenwedontfeelscaredorthreatenedandinthePlaceofReconciliationwedontcompassionautomaticallyarises.